Tuition fees: university vice-chancellors welcome MPs' vote

Universities UK says outcome of the vote ensures financial stability for higher education but opponents from new universities warn it could risk social mobility

Aaron Porter, the president of the National Union of Students, said they had 'lost' the vote on tuition fees in the House of Commons because 'MPs have broken their promises'. Photograph: Frank Baron for the Guardian

MPs have ensured universities in England can deliver a world-class education by voting to almost treble tuition fees, some vice-chancellors said last night – while others said politicians had endangered prospects for the poor.

Universities UK – the umbrella group for vice-chancellors – said the outcome of the vote ensured "financial stability for our universities" and "means that they can plan their future".

But Million+, a thinktank representing the interests of new universities, warned the result would cost the taxpayer more and "risk social mobility and participation in our universities". Professor Les Ebdon, chair of the thinktank and vice-chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, said the result was "disappointing" and urged government to consult with universities "so that we do not further risk the prospects of those from disadvantaged backgrounds".

Students said they were "incredibly disappointed and angry" and vowed to build on their fight against higher fees.

Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said "We've taken to the streets in our thousands, won the arguments and the battle for public opinion. We have lost in the House of Commons today only because MPs have broken their promises. We are incredibly disappointed and angry with the politicians who have let us down so badly. They have voted for a policy they know is unfair, unnecessary and wrong." He said that the protests had "sparked a new wave of activism which would grow stronger by the day".

The Russell Group, which represents Oxbridge and other leading research-intensive universities, said voting in favour of a fee rise was "the only way of ensuring we maintain a world-class, fair and sustainable higher education system in England".

"Given the far-reaching cuts to university funding introduced by the current and previous governments, higher graduate contributions are the fairest and only viable way forward," Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said. "Our leading institutions cannot continue to be internationally competitive, provide a first-rate teaching experience and offer generous support to disadvantaged students without access to increased funding. Without increased funding, our universities risk relegation from the global premier league into the third division.

Professor Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter and president of Universities UK, urged the government to clarify other changes planned for higher education as soon as possible. A white paper with more details on university reforms is expected next month.

"The government must now clarify some of the final details," Smith said. "Students, their families, and our universities, have to know the full details of the proposed system as soon as possible. Universities need to be able to publicise their courses for 2012. Everyone involved in higher education, from universities to schools, must ensure that the public understands fully the proposed system.

The system proposed has no upfront payments by students and a significantly improved package of support for part-time students and for students from poorer backgrounds.

"This is a period of great change. For many institutions the next few years will be very challenging. Universities are flexible and efficient and will adapt to this new system, ensuring that we continue to deliver a world-class higher education experience."

Smith said "no-one took any pleasure in asking graduates to take on more debt". "But the cuts to the higher education budget are a reality and we must make sure that our universities are properly funded to deliver the high standards that students rightly demand, without cutting back on places."

However, the lecturers' trade union, the University and College Union (UCU), said there had been "no winners" from the result of the vote. Sally Hunt, general secretary of UCU, said the government had paved the way to "brutally slashing universities' teaching budgets".